65% of Americans Believe Afghan War Not Worth Fighting

Almost 65 percent of Americans now believe that the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting. The number is up 20 points from results in 2009 when 44 percent did not think the war worth fighting, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Only 19 percent of the Democrats and half of the Republicans surveyed said the war is worth fighting. Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that President Barack Obama should withdraw a “substantial number” of troops from Afghanistan this summer, The Washington Post reported.

The telephone survey of 1,005 adults also found that 45 percent approved of the president’s handling of the crisis in the Middle East. Nearly 6 in 10 said they would support the United States imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. However, when told that enforcing a no-fly zone meant bombing Libyan planes and “continuous patrols,” nearly 25 percent of those who supported the idea changed their opinion, the Post said.